Google Seattle/Kirkland

Hangout on Air: Engineering at Seattle/Kirkland

Lead tech recruiter Jeff Moore hosts a conversation with three of our
Seattle/Kirkland Googlers: engineering directors Scott Silver and Chee Chew, and
Melissa Nixon, who heads up the offices’ engineering recruiting. Watch this Hangout
on Air to learn more about the technical projects and opportunities in
Seattle/Kirkland.

Inside Google Seattle/Kirkland

“Why urban or suburban?” we thought. “Why not both?” So we opened offices on both
sides of Lake Washington. We’re one of the largest Google locations in the U.S., and
the birthplace of products from Google Talk to Google Storage to Google+
Hangouts, to name just a few.

In Kirkland, we’re all engineering, all the time. Our computer scientists, product
managers and engineers have worked on every major product at Google, from Search to
Android to
Advertising. In Seattle, engineers cross paths with marketing and sales Googlers,
where we have teams working with interesting clients in areas like travel and retail.
Based in the Fremont neighborhood, we’re in a pretty, light-filled building right
alongside the Lake Washington Ship Canal.

When we’re not shipping code or making sales calls, we like to have fun. Lots of it.
Fremont Googlers can check out kayaks and go for a paddle – or explore works by local
artists showcased on-site. And Kirkland Googlers enjoy a a climbing wall, a high-tech
golf simulator and a James Beard Award-winning chef.

If you look at what makes us great, it's the people, and continuing to find great
people.

- Scott Silver, Engineering Director

Google Seattle/Kirkland: Frequently Asked Questions

What’s so great about Google Seattle/Kirkland?

As one of the largest engineering offices at Google outside of Mountain View, we have
all of the benefits of working on Google-scale projects while still operating at a more
start-up-like size. We get to spend more time doing what we’re really interested in,
and less time managing people and processes. It means we can make a significant
contribution right away. For one thing, we enjoy the best of both worlds. Want to live
in the city? Welcome to our Fremont office. Want to rock the suburbs? Kirkland’s got
your name on it.

What’s the most exciting work to come out of Google Seattle/Kirkland?

Every major product at Google has a home in Seattle/Kirkland. We helped build Google
Talk, Maps and
Sitemaps, and we’ve made significant contributions to systems infrastructure, AdWords,
AdSense, Analytics, Chrome and
the Google Apps Engine. Most recently, we built Hangouts for Google+. And
our Widevine team develops digital rights management and video optimization
technologies.

Have I heard of any Seattle/Kirkland Googlers?

If you’re into technology, probably so. For example, Jim Hugunin created the Numeric
extension to the Python programming language, the Jython and IronPython implementations
of Python and our Dart open-web programming language.

How do Seattle/Kirkland Googlers get to work?

In the city, a lot of Googlers walk or cycle to the office. One even runs. Both
directions. Every day. Both our offices feature free parking and easy accessibility by
bus.

What’s the best part about having two offices?

Not having to commute into or out of the city. We’re pretty sure that Jimi Hendrix was
thinking of his hometown when he wrote "Crosstown Traffic."

How does Google make the Kirkland and Seattle communities better?

We host the local technology community on-site at events like the annual Google I/O
conference, tech talks and panel presentations. We support local farmers who are part
of Growing Washington. We host local students as part of our Computing and Programming
Experience program. And we support the University of Washington’s Science, Technology,
Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) programs for students from
underrepresented groups.

Life at Google Seattle/Kirkland

How Google is changing and staying the same

Hear first hand from our site director Scott Silver on everything Seattle and
Kirkland, including ...